How Canmore’s New Parking System Will Change the Way You Park

Starting March 1, 2026, the Town of Canmore will roll out a new paid parking system that replaces its existing software, payment platforms, and enforcement tools. The transition, approved as part of the 2025–26 budget, brings new vendors, new rules for residents accessing free parking, changes to how time is purchased, and the expansion of residential permit zones.

Town officials describe the overhaul as an operational reset aimed at improving reliability and customer service while controlling costs.

What’s changing for residents

One of the most immediate changes affects how resident permit holders access their daily three free hours of parking.

Under the new system, residents will no longer be able to activate their free parking time at pay machines. Instead, they will be required to use the PayByPhone app, a web browser, or a call-in option to start their free hours.

“The big change is that now resident parking permit users must use an online option or on the phone to start their free hours,” said Caitlin Miller, the Town’s manager of protective services, who presented the briefing to council. “Pay machines cannot be used to access the free three hours.”

Miller explained that the shift is driven by how the new vendor charges transaction fees.

“With the new payment structure, the vendor charges on a per-transaction basis,” she said. “That means that even when no funds are collected, for example when a resident parking permit holder utilizes some or all of their daily three free hours, there’s still a transaction cost payable by the Town of Canmore.”

Shorter transactions, she added, would increase operating costs without bringing in additional revenue.

From 15 minutes to 30

Another notable change is the elimination of 15-minute parking increments.

Currently, drivers can purchase parking in 15-minute blocks. Under the new system, standard paid parking will move to 30-minute increments, except in specific locations where minimum stays already apply, such as Quarry Lake during peak season.

“Maintaining a 15-minute increment is not possible without customization, which comes at an additional cost to the municipality per transaction,” Miller said. “Shorter increments are likely to result in more frequent extensions, which would increase operational expenses of the program.”

She noted that 30-minute or one-hour increments are standard in most comparable municipalities.

New vendors, new platform

As part of the update, the town selected two new companies to replace its existing parking system.

Under the new setup, T2 Systems will manage parking permits, enforcement software, and pay machines, while PayByPhone will handle all mobile, online, and phone-based payments.

Miller said the new vendors are expected to improve system reliability and make it easier for drivers to get help when something goes wrong.

“PayByPhone offers customer service support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” she said. “All paid parking users should see a significant improvement in wait time for resolving issues related to their online and mobile payments.”

She also told council the town will now receive advance notice of system outages, something staff did not have under the previous system.

“It’s nice to have the heads up if something’s going to be down,” she said.

While the update focuses on how parking is managed and paid for, it does not include any changes to paid parking rates. Rates in Canmore remain the same: $5 per hour during peak season, which runs from May 15 to Oct. 14, and between $2 and $3 per hour in the off-season, depending on the day of the week.

That stands in contrast to Banff, which recently raised its peak-season parking rate from $7 to $12 per hour. In Canmore’s case, the current update centres on operational changes rather than increasing the cost of parking.

A new residential parking zone on Rundle Crescent

Beyond the technical changes, the update also includes a planned expansion of residential permit parking.

The town has approved the addition of a new Residential Parking Permit zone along Rundle Crescent, a street that has seen increased spillover parking following the expansion of paid parking at the Bow River boat launch and Riverside Park.

For now, parking rules on Rundle Crescent have not changed, and visitors can still park there. Town staff told council that residents on the street have not yet been notified of the change.

“We didn’t go and inform anyone on that street that we are doing this yet,” Miller said. “That’s next.”

Once implemented, parking on Rundle Crescent will require a resident permit, and the street will be folded into regular enforcement patrols.

Councillor Rob Murray raised concerns about whether the change could push parking pressure onto nearby streets, including Three Sisters Drive and Hospital Hill.

“We’ll continue to monitor and see how it goes,” Miller said. “We’re constantly monitoring the residential zones, seeing what kind of compliance we have in them.”

A transition period ahead

The town expects the new system to go live on March 1, 2026, with signage and pay machines being replaced over the following weeks. During that period, enforcement will pause temporarily, and staff will focus on public education and support.

Permit holders will receive emails with instructions on accessing the new portal, and parking staff will be available in person at the civic centre, by phone, and online.

Miller cautioned that residents should expect some disruption during the changeover but said the goal is a smoother system in the long term.

“This is about going above and beyond for our residents and trying to make the paid parking as friendly as possible,” she said, “while it’s serving a very important purpose in our community around transportation, mode shift, and costs of transit.”

For residents, the message is simple but consequential: the rules of the curb are staying mostly the same, but how you interact with them is about to change.